Misikko Hana Pro 1" Flat Iron Review

Disclaimer: This product was sent to me for review. I am not in any way affiliated with or compensated by the company. These are my honest opinions. 

A few weeks ago I was given the opportunity to review Misikko's Hana Pro 1" flat iron. 

I'm pretty impressed with the packaging! They are quite thoughtful. 

From their website: 

Hana Professional Features:

• Advanced Tourmaline Ceramic Plates for Accelerated Ion Generation and Maximum Frizz-Free, Conditioning Shine
• Ceramic is naturally hygienic, protects color & retards fading
• Floating 1" Plates Auto-Adjust To Glide Over Any Hair Texture
• Curved Plate Edges For Versatile Styling - Curl, Flip or Straighten!
• Adjustable Temperature Dial - 5 Settings from 140-450° F for All Hair Types
• Flash Heats in Seconds with Instant Compensation for Heat Loss
• Ergonomic Handle Design with No-Slip Grip
• Smooth Grooves Keep Hair Strands Separate and Snag-Free
• Tangle-Free Salon Quality Cord Swivels 360°; Convenient Hanging Loop
• Energy Efficient at 38 Watts
• Independent On/Off Switch
• Includes Luxe Heat Proof Storage Pouch, Heat Proof Silicone Mat, & Special Edition Tin Case
• Two Year Warranty

I've been using this flat iron for a few weeks now and here are my thoughts:

Straightening with Hana Pro: My hair is naturally stick straight and thin, but I occasionally have some nappy-headed bad hair days. I effortlessly straightened my hair today and it became much more tamed. This only took me a few minutes to do.  (Please excuse my super dry hair! I'm in need of an oil treatment.)

Curling with Hana Pro: As good as an actual curling iron! I've actually been using this for curling more than I have for straightening.

Pros:
-Awesome packaging
-Comes with heat proof mat, travel pouch, and tin case
-Can curl and straighten
-Blinking light to indicate heat achieved
-Heats up fast
-Several different heat settings to choose from
-Safe for damp hair and color treated hair
-No pinching or tugging
-No frizzes
-2 yrs warranty

Cons:
-Pricey (but you get what you pay for)
-The blinking light is not obvious enough. I would much prefer the light to blink and then stabilize after heat is achieved instead.

Price: On sale for $119.98, originally $204.99 (Qualifies for free shipping)

Overall: I like this flat iron. It does the job well and is really a 2-in-1 product since it can function as a straightener or curler. I'm also impressed with Misikko's customer service and their packaging. Check them out! They also carry other brands of flat irons including chi straighteners and curling irons too.

A quick review of Hana Shine Shield Thermal Protectant Serum:
I can massage this product throughout my hair with less than a dime-sized amount . It does make my hair feel smoother and adds shine, which is nice since applying heat dries out my hair. I also like that the serum doesn't weigh my hair down or turn it oily like most products do. You can apply it to your skin too.

Have you tried the Hana Pro 1" flat iron yet? What are your thoughts?

Essence Stay With Me Longlasting Lipgloss Review & Swatch

L-R: 01 Me & My Ice Cream, 03 Candy Bar, 04 Trendsetter, 05 I Like Cotton Candy

These lip glosses have a glossy finish. First coat can be slightly sheer but opacity can be easily reached with additional coats.

The applicator brush is barbell-shaped so that it is rounded at two ends and skinny in the middle. The design makes application to the outer and inner curves of your lips easier.

L-R: 01 Me & My Ice Cream, 03 Candy Bar, 04 Trendsetter, 05 I Like Cotton Candy (2 coats each)

01 Me & My Ice Cream - pale pink

03 Candy Bar - coral

04 Trendsetter - raspberry hot pink

05 I Like Cotton Candy - mauve (my favorite of the bunch)

Pros:

-super affordable

-nicely pigmented

-comes in 8 colors

-special applicator is great for applying color thoroughly

Cons:

- scented (I don't like scents)

-"me&my icecream" and "trendsetter" don't apply as evenly as the other two

-slightly sticky
-is only sold at Ulta in the states (as far as I know)

Cost:
$2.29 for 4mL of product @ Ulta.

Overall: 7.5/10
For the price, Stay With Me lip glosses aren't bad at all. Although I like these, I don't love them. I was expecting the consistency to be creamier but they're a little too shiny for my liking. I'm not a fan of the smell either.

Pixi Neutral Eye Palette Review and Swatch

Pro:
-The eye shadows in this palette have various finishes including matte, frost, and shimmer.
-I like that I can use this to fill in my eyebrows, line my eyes, and as eyeshadow of course.
-Nicely pigmented
-Super travel friendly
-Great stocking stuffer

Con:
-I'm not digging the packaging. The light green will definitely get dirty in my makeup bag. The logo on the mirror annoys me cause I can't see what I'm trying to look at.
-The matte colors tend to get all over the place when I use a brush to pick it up. I've switched to just using my fingers.

Price:
$9.99 @ Target

On to the swatches:

Overall: I like it, but I don't love it. It's just not a must-have item in my book. I regret not saving that 10 bucks to go toward Urban Decay's naked palette. =[

Eyelash Curler Showdown!

I'm picky about my eyelashes. Next to mascara, a good eyelash curler is absolutely important to me. 

This showdown will be between Japonesque Power Curl ($16.50), Japonesque Go Curl ($10.00), Shu Uemura ($19.00), E.L.F Mechanical Curler ($1) and LA Cross ($2.97). 

Japonesque Power Curl Eyelash Curler 

This eyelash curler is made to fit Asian eyes. The design of the curler is slightly different from other ones. Notice how the hinge area is totally different from the typical curlers.   

Pro: Curls lashes nicely (no L shaped lashes), lashes stay curled for a long time, curls those hard to reach lashes,  free refill pad for the life of the curler! You can call them or just go on their website www.japonesque.com/programs.cfm and fill out the "Eyelash Curler Replacement Pad Form." You don't even have to pay for shipping! 

Con: Pinches occassionally. 

Cost: $16.50 on Japonesque.com and UrbanOutfitters.com, $17.49 on Ulta.com (buy 1 get 1 50% off on Ulta)

Overall: I love it. It definitely delivers! I just wish it didn't pinch me =(. I think this is a little too wide for my eyes but hey free refill for life? I'll stick with this. I recommend this for ladies with wider eyes.

  

Japonesque Go Curl Pocket Curler

Super cute eyelash curler that's compact and great for girls on the go. I probably should have bought the black one cause mascara stains this cute little thing and makes it look dirty. The pad is white too. 

Pro: Cute design, long lasting curls, I can feel the my lashes touching my eyelids! (haha), comes with one refill pad, free refill pad for the life of the curler

Con: L shaped curls, hard to get all your lashes in one curl

Cost: $10.00 on Ulta.com,$11.00 on UrbanOutfitters.com and Japonesque.com

*Buy one get one 50% off at Ulta.com

Overall: I like the way it makes my lashes stand out. I can live with a little bit of L shaped lashes. I can feel the curling power with every press. I recommend this. 

Shu Uemura

Supposedly the best of the best out there. Well...Let's see...

Pro: Does a beautiful job of curling your eyelash without leaving a harsh look

Con: Doesn't make my lashes stand out. Doesn't give me the "Oomph!" I'm looking for.

Cost: $19.00 @ http://www.shuuemura-usa.com

Overall: Not really impressed. I don't understand the hype. Judging from the pictures, LA Cross and Shu gives pretty similar results. If you like natural looking curls then you would like this; otherwise go for the ELF. It's $18.00 cheaper and you get great definition for your lashes. 

E.L.F Mechanical Eyelash Curler

Rumor has it that this is comparable to the infamous Shu Uemura. For a buck, I had to see this for myself. The pad for this curler is more rounded and cushiony compared to the other ones. 

Pro: Long lasting curls (I curled it before bed, woke up and it was still curled!), I can feel my lashes touching my eyelid, cheap!, sturdy design, good lash coverage, comes with a refill pad

Con: L-shaped lashes, have to use more power to push because the curler is in an open position at all times

Cost: $1 on eyeslipface.com and at Target

Overall: I'm impressed! Don't kill me for saying this but I think it's better than the Shu. I found the effects very similar to Japonesque Go Curl. This is probably the best $1 eyelash curler you can get. I think you get the most bang for the buck with E.L.F. I definitely recommend this. 

La Cross

I've been using this one for the past 4 years. I'm not sure why I stuck with it. 

Pro: Curls really well the first couple of uses, comes with 3 refill pads, cheap

Con: Lashes don't stay curled for a long time, stops delivering after a couple of uses, doesn't get the inner lashes, droopy curls, the curler itself gets really flimsy

Cost: $2.97 at Walmart

Overall: I'm going to retire this eyelash curler from my stash. It was great while it lasted, but I think I found better. I don't recommend this. 

Based on quality and value my favorites are:

1st Place: Japonesque Power Curl

2nd Place: E.L.F Mechanical Eyelash Curler

3rd Place: Japonesque Go Curl

Phew! That was a long post. haha. So what do you guys think? 

Disclaimer: These eyelash curlers were all purchased by me. 

L'oreal Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara (Waterproof) Review

My two cents:

Curled with Japonesque curler, 2 coats mascara

Pro:

-volumizes and lengthens

-smooth application

-easy to layer: first coat gives a natural look, but the second-third coat really makes your lashes fuller

Con:

-smudges after some time!!!!! Racoon eyes = no good!!! =[ (Did i mention i bought the freaking waterproof one??? Hmmphh!)

-cannot wear this when it rains

-cannot wear this when it's hot (sweat = my face would melt)

-cannot wear this during spring cause of allergies...

-can be more volumizing

-hard to remove

Price:

$5.04 @ Target

$5.97 @ Walmart

$7.49 @ Walgreens

Overall, this mascara gives the ideal effect except it doesn't last!  I can't deal with something that smudges like crazy. Will not be repurchasing. =[ poop.

L.A Colors: Color Craze Metallic Nail Polish Series

I should seriously stop going to CVS -.- 

I was strolling the aisles and saw this 4 piece L.A Colors nail polish set.  The gray/black metallic color reminded me of "Jitterbug" and since I can get 4 polishes for $3 instead just one chinaglaze, why not? =) 

Bottle pics & swatches:

These polishes are limited edition and don't have names on them.  

All swatches done with 2 coats, no top coat. 

w/ flash

w/o flash

Charcoal metallic. Micro silver glitter. I want to call this one gunmetal. Pretty color.

Magenta. Not very metallic-like. Hot pink, purple, blue shimmer. 

Deep purple. Not a very metallic-like color. Micro purple & blue glitter. 

Teal-green metallic.  Green and silver micro glitter. Very pigmented. This one only needed one coat, but I did two just cuz =) Reminds me of Christmas. hehe 

My two cents:

Pro: Super affordable, toluene/ DBP/ formaldehyde free, nicely pigmented, goes on smooth, not streaky, wearable colors. I'm not sure how long they will last on your nails, but there's nothing a little bit of top coat can't do =) 

Con: none

Price: $2.99 for the set ($0.75 a bottle) @ CVS

Go get this now!!!! Go go go go go!

Wet n Wild Megalast Lip Color Lipsticks

You've probably seen swatches of these from other blogs but I am so excited about these I wanna show you guys myself =)

I've been waiting for a Wet n Wild sale for so long and finally, Walgreens is having a 50% off sale. These products are normally cheap, but I wanted so much that I had to wait for a sale to justify my splurge!

I picked up 4 lip colors, 1 nail polish, one eyebrow pencil, and their 6-pan shadow palette all for about $12. Less than a MAC lipstick! Great deal for such good quality stuff!

On to lip color swatches!

L-R: Think Pink, Just Peachy, Mauve Outta Here, Red Velvet

My two cents:

They all have a creme finish. "Think Pink" and "Just Peachy" are more matte while "Mauve Outta Here" and "Red Velvet" have a satin finish.

I ran across a lady who was stocking up on Wet n Wild products at Walgreens and she was recommending products to me. I swear she probably owns a makeup blog. lol She told me "Stoplight Red" is a good dupe of MAC's "Ruby Woo". Imma go back for that one tomorrow.

Pro: Super pigmented with amazing color payoff, smooth, cheap (originally ~$3 each), long lasting

Con: Packaging can be prettier, the nude-ish colors are slightly dry

Price: $2.99 @ Walgreens. (I got mine for $1.49 at Walgreens today)

These are the best $3 lippies I've ever purchased. I especially love that I can try colors I normally wouldn't want to waste my money on.

The 50% off sale ends tomorrow so go to your local Walgreens and get your hands on these! =D I know I'll be going back for "Rose Bud" and "Spotlight Red"!

Have a great weekend!

Eyeko Big Eyes Mascara Review

I love mascara! It's the most important part of my makeup routine and the first cosmetic product I have ever used.

The first time I used Eyeko Big Eyes mascara was in middle school. It was my first expensive mascara purchase and my first Sephora purchase. Yea...that long ago that Sephora still carried Eyeko products. I liked it a lot and when I was done with my tube they discountinued it! 8+ years later I am drawn to the super cute packaging once again. Since I had a free shipping and discount code for Urbanoutfitters.com, I bought the mascara again. It didn't come in a box so I was a tad weirded out/ concerned but the tube was definitely new (or so I hope lol).

The wand: This mascara is probably not for beginners as it can be a bit tricky to apply. The brush has very spread out bristles and is narrow so you might have to layer a bit, but this also allows it to grab all the tiny corner lashes.

The formula: Has a slight scent to it, but nothing unbearable. Goes on smoothly. The tube says "With Vitamin B to promote lash growth." I'm all about promoting healthy lashes =)

Layering: If you want thicker looking lashes, make sure the coats in between layers don't dry or else you'll be combing out clumps for a while. I think two coats is good, but after 3+ coats there might be a lot of clumping.

Finish product: Gave my straight and sparse Asian lashes some life. This mascara is definitely good at lengthening. Holds curls pretty good. Although my lashes were darker, I wish it volumized some more.

1. Bare clean lashes. Curled with Japonesque Power Curl eyelash curler

2. One coat

3. Two coats + lightly applied to bottom lashes.

Price: Can be purchased from eyeko.com for $14. I got mine from UrbanOutfitters.com for $10.80 with a discount code.

I have mixed feelings about this mascara. I feel like it will be a time consuming product to use since you have to be careful with the brush and make sure your lashes don't dry between coats. I do love the final results though. I think I will repurchase this mascara and use it when I am not in a rush. Overall I like this mascara. I'd give it a B+ =)

If you have lashes like mine, sparse and light, give this mascara a try.

Disclaimer: This product was purchased by me. The review is my opinion and based on my experience with the product.

More nail polish!!! & OPI Drip Dry Review

This morning my girl and I sent our boyfriends off to the airport destined for Las Vegas. She had no work and I had no class so what better to do than nail polish shop? =D We were pretty bummed when we didn't see the new OPI Burlesque collection. The guy said he forgot to order it so we have to wait a month OR drive 45 mins to San Jose to another nail polish store!!! Sigh...We'll just wait. I wanted to boycott that collection since OPI was using their legal team against bloggers that posted stock photos early but I just can't resist =/ Anyways, here's the haul:

I've been looking all over for Essie's mint candy apple! Finally in my possession =)

I am in LOVEEEE with electric lilac. Can't wait to use it.

Love each other has purple micro glitter specks. I'm planning to use this over a dark color.

And since I love this color, here's another shot of electric lilac =)

I also picked up OPI drip dry since I'm running low. This is Aaaaaamazing!

My two cents:

Don't you hate being handicapped for up to an hour after you paint your nails?

Well here's a solution! I cannot imagine doing my nails without this drip dry. I don't really have time to sit there and wait for my nails to dry thoroughly and I am not careful enough to not smudge them. Put a few drops of this on and BAM!! my nails are good to go in about five minutes. I also like how it kinda moisturizes my cuticles. 2-3 drops will do but I think I overuse it. It should be enough for over 40 mani's.

My only con is that the bottle is a tad small (9mL, .3 Fl. Oz).

Price:

@ Sephora $14 (It's an OPI for sephora renamed "Name Colour Drying Drops")

@ Vietnamese nail supply stores ~$4 (just yelp it)

The verdict:

Amazing stuff and if you like to paint your own nails, YOU NEED THIS! A+ in my books =D

Revlon Spring Collection Swatch

Super Lustrous Lipgloss $5.94 (@ Walmart)

Peach Petal is a nude peach color. It's a little too white for me and makes me look like I'm sick. =( I will be using this color under other glosses. Pink Pop is a super pretty hot pink color. My favorite out of the bunch. Lilac Pastelle is not a color that everyone can rock. The color is true to it's name. It would probably look good with some dark eye makeup.

Overall the Revlon Super Lustrous lipglosses are nicely pigmented and are not sticky! There is a slight scent to them but nothing overwhelming. I will definitely be buying more Revlon lippies =)

Nail Enamel $3.88 (@ Walmart)

I was super excited about the nail polish. The color is a creamy pink-peach but more peachy in real life. Application wasn't tacky but it was definitely difficult. It has the typical problems that you would expect from a creamy pastel polish. The first layer looked streaky and gross. After the second coat there were bubbles! Thank god for Seche Vite top coat! The color is not popping to me. Makes me feel like my finger is an over-tanned blondie. =( I think it needs to be dressed up with some glitter or nail stickers. Bummer.